Volcanic Age

After returning to the Mount Hua Sect, there were a few things Zhou Xuchuan needed to handle.

"I have completed my mission."

"Little brat."

Liu Zhengmu gave a wistful smile, as if there was nothing he could do to stop him.

While he was pleased that his disciple had come to greet him first before reporting on his mission, he was also troubled.

Thinking of how the Sect Master and the Five High Elders were waiting for Zhou Xuchuan, his stomach started to hurt a little.

So, the two just had a cup of tea before he sent his disciple up to the palace, pushing him to move quickly.

"Fourth Generation Disciple Zhou Xuchuan has completed his mission and returned."

"You really did well."

One of the Five High Elders, the Sage Sword Xue Song, greeted Zhou Xuchuan warmly.

Hmm. Elder Wei Zhijie is nowhere to be seen.

The fact that the Plum Blossom Sword Captain was absent meant that the training of the Swordsmen Initiates wasn't yet complete. Since returning to the Mount Hua Sect, Zhou Xuchuan had hoped to reunite with those he cared about, but he felt a bit disappointed that he hadn’t been able to.

Except for Wei Zhijie, all the High Elders of Mount Hua were in the Upper Palace.

“Hurry up and make your report," Destiny Hand Zhao Wuyang nagged, curious.

Since he had already reported what had happened in the Southern Jungles in a detailed letter before, he only reported the important facts this time.

Although it had already been reported before, there was a difference between a letter and getting a report in person. Thus, everyone listened attentively to the report.

Zhou Xuchuan omitted the part about the Dark Heavens Association.

Zhuge Zhonghao had asked him to keep it a secret until the Martial Alliance reached a conclusion.

He reasoned that if there were inquiries to come from all over the Central Plains, it would only end up causing confusion and prolonging the meeting.

"Making the Benevolence Clinic owe us a debt—you really are making me proud."

Pill Apothecary Ling Zhen laughed heartily and was pleased. Even precious medicines that were hard to obtain could be obtained through the Benevolence Clinic.

Most importantly, the fact that the Benevolence Clinic could help them with anything that he couldn't handle was good.

"You must be tired. Please rest. You've really done a great job. You're the pride of Mount Hua."

Xue Song smiled gently.

I never expected this kid to become this impressive…

The Iron Blood Plum Sword, Shen Yulian looked at Zhou Xuchuan silently.

In the past, she had thought of him as a child who was nothing but a nuisance to her disciple.

But not anymore.

He was renowned as the younger generation talent of the Mount Hua Sect, and at a young age, he had ascended to the Harmony Realm and became one of the One Hundred Experts Under Heaven. Ɽ

That wasn't all. He had completed numerous missions, accumulated many achievements, and played an active role in helping the Mount Hua Sect reach its current prestige.

Recently, he had gone all the way to the Southern Jungles, outside of the Central Plains, to fight barbarians and even brought back the kidnapped(?) Divine Physician.

As martial artists everywhere were all praising the Plum Blossom Order Sword, the shoulders of the Mount Hua elders naturally stood tall.

Visitors soon flooded the sect after hearing the news of the return of the Plum Blossom Order Sword.

“When can we see Great Hero Zhou Xuchuan?”

The scene was no different from the Martial Alliance.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Wherever Zhou Xuchuan went, there were always people.

Before returning to Mount Hua, he had purposefully chosen places with few people and hidden himself from the public using Phantom Steps.

Zhou Xuchuan, who was at the center of the commotion, declined all visitors, explaining that he was too exhausted from his mission.

He also firmly warned everyone not to bother his master, Liu Zhengmu. Since his master was so good-natured, if he didn't do this, he was sure that he would meet with everyone one by one.

After the report and remaining tasks were roughly finished, he was given a summons.

A call from the office and residence of the Sect Master, the Violet Haze Pavilion.

Zhou Xuchuan walked up the stairs toward the Violet Haze Pavilion as if he had been waiting for the call. His expression betrayed no surprise.

The Violet Haze Pavilion.

“Welcome, welcome.”

An old man with an immortal-like air slowly opened his eyes and greeted him.

"I greet the Sect Master."

Zhou Xuchuan bowed politely.

“Would you like a cup of tea?”

"I gratefully accept."

“Mmm.”

Zhou Xuchuan accepted the tea that his Sect Master had personally prepared for him and drank it. With each sip, he felt a wave of warmth spread through him, as if the tea was restoring his strength.

"I called you so suddenly, yet you don't seem surprised."

"I somewhat expected it. You could have called me immediately after I arrived, so I appreciate your consideration."

"You're a disciple of ours who has suffered all this way. Why would I summon you without letting you rest first? This Sect Master of yours isn't a monster."

You Riwen laughed heartily.

Zhou Xuchuan also smiled bitterly and apologized profusely.

Then, after a moment of silence, the Sect Master’s expression grew serious, his gaze sharp.

"Fourth Generation Disciple of the Mount Hua Sect, Zhou Xuchuan. Heed my order."

"I await your command."

"From this point on, you must answer all questions I ask you truthfully without any falsehood. If you disobey this command…"

Woosh!

The bookshelf in the corner of the room began to shake. The books inside it also moved as if they were about to fall out.

So this is the power of one of the Ten Empyrean Overlords!

Zhou Xuchuan's throat tightened, and he couldn't breathe. It felt as if he had lost control of his body, and for a moment, he couldn't move.

It was as if he was standing in the middle of a sword forest, where he would get stabbed or cut by a blade if he moved even slightly.

"I won't sever your meridians or cripple your dantian, especially considering all the efforts you have made so far. However, you won't be able to step outside the bounds of Mount Hua, so keep that in mind."

"Understood."

"I'll ask you directly. Tell me the source of your Violet Haze Divine Art."

As expected.

Zhou Xuchuan’s expression made it clear that he knew this moment was inevitable.

When the Violet Haze Divine Art reached the Tenth Stage, the ability to conceal its signature purple hue disappeared. Instead, it fully displayed characteristics that anyone could recognize.

Of course, he hadn't displayed it after returning to Mount Hua as he thought that it would cause trouble. However, that meant nothing to the Exalted Sword Immortal.

Since he practiced the same technique, he was able to recognize the Violet Haze Divine Art that had reached the Tenth Stage as soon as he saw Zhou Xuchuan with his own eyes.

It might have been easy for him to fool an expert or a lower-level warrior, but it was impossible for him to fool a master, especially one on the level of the Ten Empyrean Overlords.

"I didn’t inform the other elders because I was worried they’d pressure you and prevent you from explaining yourself properly,” the Sect Master continued. “Take your time and tell me everything.”

The Violet Haze Divine Art was a qi cultivation method reserved solely for the Sect Master and their successor. There were no exceptions. Even a Hero of the Righteous Faction would struggle in such a situation.

Forget outsiders, not even members of the same Mount Hua Sect were allowed to learn it without permission.

The most concerning part was the source of Zhou Xuchuan's Violet Haze Divine Art.

How did this kid get the Violet Haze Divine Art?

The Violet Haze Divine Art was passed down through an inheritance system.

It wasn't that there weren't any copies of the manual in case of an emergency.

However, one or two lines of the sutra were missing, and the difficulty of being able to deduce them on one's own was so high that it was near impossible to learn them on one's own.

The teachings of the previous generations were essential. However, not only did Zhou Xuchuan learn them without falling into cultivation deviation, but he had also reached the tenth stage.

It was a situation that was hard for You Riwen to believe, even after seeing it with his own eyes.

I have to speak carefully from this point on.

Zhou Xuchuan repeated the words he had prepared in his head several times.

The Violet Haze Divine Art and the Violet Haze Sword Sutra would definitely be revealed over time. This situation was something he had expected since he was young. That was why he had racked his brain so much and came up with all sorts of excuses to prepare an answer that wouldn't raise suspicion.

Still, that didn't mean he could rest easy. The moment he gave an answer with even the slightest flaw, he would be unable to leave Mount Hua.

"I saw it in the Plum Blossoms."

It was an unexpected answer. However, You Riwen didn’t say anything and just sat quietly, waiting for his next words.

"It was at the crossroads of life and death that allowed me to break down the walls of the Transcendent Realm and leap into the next realm."

It wasn’t a lie.

While it may have been an experience from his past life, not this one, he wasn't lying.

After living for over seventy years as a Transcendent, he felt that his life was over. That crossroad was what helped him ascend to the Harmony Realm.

"Are you aware that there is a secret hidden within the Plum Blossom Cultivation Art that isn't known to the sect, Sect Master?"

"A secret that the sect doesn't know…?"

You Riwen’s eyes lit up.

This, too, wasn’t a lie.

A few decades later, at a time when the war had passed and peace had finally arrived, the secret of the Plum Blossom Cultivation Art was revealed by a genius.

The Plum Blossom Cultivation Art.

Living and breathing alongside the plum tree, absorbing its life force little by little. Doing so compensated for the art's sole weakness, its slow progression.

"I'm not too sure about it either, to be honest."

In truth, he knew it extremely well. However, he deliberately didn't say it.

Partly for the sake of his future generation, but also to make his story sound more convincing.

"While I wasn't able to see all of it yet, I saw something above the Harmony Realm. It was almost as if it was the boundary between this world and the next. It was something that couldn't be described in words."

"Oh, ho. So you've already seen it?"

You Riwen exclaimed in genuine surprise while questioning the truth of his statement.

While he may have glossed over it if Zhou Xuchuan had said that he had seen a wall, when the disciple said that he had seen more beyond it, he couldn't help but be as shocked as Nangong Weiwu had been.

This wasn't a lie, either.

He had tried to overcome the wall with the power of the Divine Pill of the Au Co but had failed and was forced to turn back.

While he was barely able to pass the edge of the Harmony Realm, that was all there was to it. Because he lacked the proper enlightenment, he wasn't able to visualize the world beyond. Thinking back to that time, a hint of regret flickered across his face.

"Hmm…"

You Riwen stroked his dazzling white beard.

Did he fall for it?

Inside, Zhou was nervous, though he hid it well. He desperately tried to steady his racing heart.

If he was caught lying here, everything would be over.

Worst case scenario, he might have to accept being excommunicated, flee the sect, and end up fighting the Dark Heavens Association alone.

Still, this was a lie that he had come up with after much thought.

It was said that the perfect lie was mixed with truth. So, he tried to make it sound as natural as possible.

"So, to summarize what you've said, you said that you were learning the secrets of the Plum Blossom Cultivation Art and came across the Violet Haze Divine Art?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

If anyone else had heard it, they would get angry and say that it was a ridiculous lie.

The secret of the Violet Haze Divine Art was hidden in the basic qi cultivation method that all disciples of the Mount Hua Sect have cultivated?

What nonsense.

However, the actions and reputation of Zhou Xuchuan, known as an unprecedented genius, made his lie more believable.

You Riwen thought for a long moment before speaking.

"Could this really be Ten Thousand Streams Converge..."[1]

The Violet Haze Divine Art was the Greatest Divine Art of the Mount Hua Sect.

However, this greatest divine art wasn't the sect's original founding cultivation method. If measured on history alone, the Plum Blossom Cultivation Art had a much longer history.

The foundation of Mount Hua's cultivation methods was the Plum Blossom Cultivation Art. Without it, there would be no Violet Haze Divine Art.

The Violet Haze Divine Art was actually completed based on the Plum Blossom Cultivation Art after many years of research and experience.

“It may be absurd, but it's not groundless.”

If one considered it in theory, it was quite possible.

However, even if it was possible in theory, it wasn't easy to put into practice. In fact, it was essentially impossible unless the founding Sect Master came back to life.

So, it was difficult to believe that it wasn't even the Sect Master but a mere fourth-generation disciple who had done something like this.

Still, was this fourth-generation disciple just an ordinary disciple? No, he was a genius who had reached the Harmony Realm at an extremely young age and had even had a glimpse of the beyond.

That sort of foundation gave credibility to his theory, and if it weren't for this explanation, there would be no way to explain the current situation.

Even if he had somehow stolen a copy of the Divine Art and was barely able to understand it, without the teaching of the Sect Master, actually cultivating it would be next to impossible.

Moreover, if one had to ask what the most reliable evidence was?

The realm 'beyond.'

“Hmm, indeed. If this is the ‘process’… then certainly…” You Riwen muttered to himself thoughtfully.

After a long pause, about as much time as it takes to drink a cup of tea, You Riwen finally let out a sigh and eased the pressure he had been emitting.

“This complicates things.”

1. A common wuxia trope. Refers to how all branches eventually return to their origin. ☜